Folding footstool



(No Moriel.)

S. G. HOUGHTON. FOLDING POOTSTOOL.

No. 581,589. Patented Apr. 27, 1897.

llnirnn dra'rns Parana FFICE.

STEPHEN C. IIOUGHTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FOLDING FOQTSTOOL.

bPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,589, dated April 27, 1897.

Application filed December 18,1895. Serial No. 571,971. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN O. HOUGHTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Footstools; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention is a portable footstool which can be folded flat into small compass, so that one or more can be carried in the pocket without inconvenience, while a large number can be stored in quantities in a small space.

My object is to produce a cheap and simple construction of footstool for the special use of auditors in theaters and other public places, who are frequently inconvenienced by high seats. In the same places my footstool can also be placed upon the ordinary seat, so that children, in particular, can sit a little higher than they ordinarily could do. A large quantity of these stools can be kept on hand at such places and sold, rented, or given among the audience.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view, looking from below, of the form in which I prefer to make my stool. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same stool folded. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the same folded.

The stool is composed of a top or foot-rest A, and supports 13, hinged near the ends of the top. These parts are preferably made of wood, but can be made of metal. The footrest A is provided or formed with a downwardly-projecting flange 1 at each end, adjacent to which is a transverse groove 2. The flange forms one wall of the groove, which is completed by an acute angular recess in the foot-rest. Thus the groove has two parallel walls, one higher than the other, and an inclined top. The upper edge of each support B is beveled, as shown at 3, to the same shape as the top of the groove, while its thickness is such that it closely fits the groove. Hinges a are secured to the support at a little distance from its upper edge and also to the footrest, so that the edge of the support can be turned up into the groove.

Both supports can be folded up against the foot-rest, Fig. 2, lying flat in that position,

and can be held by any simple fastening, such as the turn-button 5, pivoted in the middle of the foot-rest, and adapted to rest in small recesses or depressions 6 in the edge of the supports. hen in this position, the folded device is a flat structure whose total thickness is only equal to the depth of the flange 1 added to the thickness of the top A. Hence it can be easily carried in a pocket or can be stored with a number of others of the same kind in such a way that a large number will occupy very little space.

In the position shown in Fig. 1 when the supports are at right angles to the foot-rest the edge of each support enters the adjacent angular groove and is braced and held on both sides by the walls of such groove and prevented from spreading by the flange 1. The strain produced by any weight upon the foot-rest is taken by the supports and by the foot-rest itself, entirely relieving the hinges. To hold the supports in position when the footstool is in use, I have provided the folding braces C, which can be conveniently made from stiff wire bent into rectangular form. Each brace is pivoted in staples 7 in the foot rest, and in the latter'are formed channels 8 to receive the braces when the structure is folded. The free ends of these braces catch above small projections 9 upon the supports 13, as shown in Fig. 1, but by straining the supports slightly outward the braces will release themselves and drop down so that they can be folded in with the supports without further attention.

lVhat I claim is- A pocket folding footstool comprising a top, the recesses 2 and the flanges 1 adjacent thereto, the two legs B, B, comprising the flat pieces extending from edge to edge of the top, and having projections centrally of their inner sides, the said top having grooves or recesses in its under side of rectangular form, the braces of rectangular pieces of wire hinged to the top and adapted to lie in said recesses and to spring over the projections when the stool is set up, the said legs being adapted when folded to entirely cover the braces in the grooves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have aI'liXed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of December, 1805.

STEPHEN O. IIOUG'IITON.

lVitnesses L. W. SEELY,

LANG. 

